Albert Kraus vs Kaolan Kaovichit

This is the last match of the first ever K-1 Max Final which took place in 2002. Albert Kraus is a Dutch kickboxer who is known for his boxing skills. Kaolan is said to be a former Lumpinee champion. Great contrast of Muay Thai styles, Ducth vs Thai.

Ramon Dekkers vs Hector Pena

This match really shows the importance of good roundhouse kicks and the need to have a good solid defence against it. Hector Pena is from the US. His style is more boxing from what I see in this match. Alot of the older kickboxers from the US come from an American kickboxing style where low kicks are illegal and good boxing skills were then a necessity. I think Hector Pena may have come from such a style.

Ramon is Dutch but his style is very Thai in this match. Calmly stalking Hector and punishing his legs with low kicks every chance he gets. You can see Hector getting more slower and sluggish as the match goes on.

So the lesson is you don't have to be the best in low kicks but you should have a good basic low kick and also good low shin check.

Andy Hug HL

Andy Hug was one of the greatest K-1 heavyweight champion despite being one of the smallest heavyweights. He came from a Kyokushin Karate background. He was very popular in Japan, earning the nickname "The Blue eyes samurai" due to his fighting spirit and great fighting skills. He was known for his axe kicks and spinning back kicks. He died age 35 of leukemia in Japan. RIP Andy!

Andy Souwer vs. Wei Shoulei

This is a good typical Sanda vs Muay Thai match, although in this particular match it's Dutch style Muay Thai. This was part of a Shootboxing promotion in Japan. There were five Sanda vs Shootboxing matches. Shootboxing rules slightly differs from muay thai in that it allows throws and submissions but the fighters that normally fights in Shootboxing are from Muay Thai or kickboxing gyms.

Watch the match and enjoy guys! I welcome any comments and questions about the tactics used, strengths, weaknesses, etc.

Badr Hari Training

Badr Hari is one of the top rising fighters in the K1 heavyweights division. He's one of the rare few heavyweight K-1 fighters blessed with great speed, explosiveness and technique. Watch this training clip and you'll see what I mean. It's also a good example of Dutch style Muay Thai. Alot of emphasis on punch and kick combinations.

Tommy Hearns HL

I was talking to JP today about boxing and where he's from in the US. We got talking about Kronk gym. JP, if you're wondering why I know about Kronk, it's because my favourite boxer is Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns. Watch this HL and you'll know why. He looks like a guy you don't want to piss off.

San Da Wang match ----Zheng Yuhao VS Li ming

Nice Sanda Wang match to introduce you guys to Sanda (i.e. professional sanshou). Sanda Wang means King of Free Fighting in Chinese. You can see that the biggest difference is that no head gear, protective vest or shin guards are worn. It's also held in a ring instead of the traditional lei tai (raised platform).

Sanda still follows the point scoring system found in sanshou in that a successful strike will score points that are tallied and total to determine the winner, unless of course one of the fighter gets KOed.

Zheng Yu Hao is one of my favourite Sanda fighters. I think he is retired now unfortunately. He is one of the most versatile and entertaining Sanda fighters I've seen. He fought and was runners up in Shootboxing S-Cup 2002 tournament (an event kind of similar to K-1 Max but using Shootboxing rules). He tore through all his opponents until he met Andy Souwer in the finals which he lost in extension round by decision. Very good power and toughness for a Sanda fighter. He's also known for his jumping spinning back technique as this video clip shows.

Basic Punch & Kick Progression combinations

This is the four sets of basic punch & kick progressions combinations we've done in training. These sets help to teach to throw out each technique with power from side to side continuously. Note that each technique in a combination leads to another technique from the other side, e.g. LJ into a RBK (Left to right) or LJ into a RC into a LBK (Left to Right to Left). Hence at the most basic level these combinations are trained as mainly power combinations. These combinations should provide you a good basic framework of simple and effective striking combinations. I normally like to train these combinations in reps of five or ten. So I'll do 5-10 reps of all three sets non-stop with only 10-15 sec break in between.

The combinations can be modified as you see it once you achieve a good level of proficiency. For example, the left hook in the combination RC+LH+RBK can be replaced with a left uppercut instead. Another example would be to throw the left hook to the body instead of to the head to change levels. If you like throwing knees, you can add in a knee technique after the kick. The variations are endless! These combinations are only a guide. Use your imagination and create your own!

1 Punch + Kick
LJ+RBK
RC+LBK
LH+RBK
RC+LBK

2 Punches + Kick
LJ+RC+LBK
RC+LH+RBK
LJ+RH+LBK

3 Punches + Kick
LP+RP+LH+RBK
RC+LH+RC+LBK

Legend
LJ = Left Jab
RC = Right Cross
LH = Left Hook
RH = Right Hook
LBK = Left Body Kick
RBK = Right Body Kick

What is K-1 Max?

So I heard on Friday that some of you don't know what K-1 Max is *GASPS*. It's a crime to be training muay thai, kickboxing, sanda or even boxing and not know what K-1 Max is! Here are two of the best K-1 Max clips I know on the net. The creator Shunsuke is a big K-1 Max fan and makes the bets highlight clips I've seen.

K-1 Max is the biggest and I dare say best stand up fighting promotion in the world. K-1 is a Japanese promotion but they typically have fighters from around the world competing. The promoters of K-1 are originally from Shidokan Karate which is an offshoot of Kyokushin. As such the rules of K-1 are not Muay Thai rules. They only allow one knee per clinch before you have to disengage. There is no elbows and the rounds are 3 x 3. They hold several events throughout the year culminating in a World Final event sometime in late June or early July where all the winners in the year fight it out in a tournament style format.

Despite the crappy clinching rules and the sometimes biased judging, K-1 Max is still the best kickboxing show in the world. Top quality fighters and top fights! Start watching and reading about K-1 Max guys!

ZAMBIDIS TRAINING

Various clips of Iron Mike Zambidis training. Notice the heavy emphasis on boxing in his training and the lack of knees and grappling. As mentioned before this is because he is from a kickboxing background where it is illegal to clinch Thai style, knees and to even catch kicks. But he has very good footwork and even though primarily known for his hands he actually is very good for his punch-kick combinations. He is said to be training with Dekkers in anti-clinch skills but I don't think this is much of a worry for him anymore since K-1 Max has been enforcing their no Thai clinch rule for the last 2 years now.

Kaew 'Sugar' Fairtex

This is the current WBC 60kg Muay Thai champion. He is one of the few top Muay Thai fighters I've seen that is known for finesse, technique and speed. I saw him fight in Japan at an AJKF show against a Japanese champion which you'll see bits and pieces of in this HL clip. He absolutely dominated and bloodied the Japanese champion. The Japanese even kneeled down to him after the match to show his respect.

Shizuka Murakami HL

Another amazing and cute Japanese karate girl. How come karate have all these cute kick arse girls?!! I wish I was in Japan.

Yuka Kobayashi HL

This girl's skills is amazing! And she is cute as well! She is from Ashihara Karate which is an offshoot of Kyokushin Karate. They are known as knockdown karate styles, ie. full contact. They are famous for being the strongest styles of karate through their full contact sparring.

Kyokushin full contact rules allows full contact kicks, knees and body punches. They do not allow head punches or any clinching which is why it tends to look strange for first time viewers. Nonetheless they are very tough as they do not wear any gloves or shinpads. Many Japanese kickboxers tend to have a background in kyokushin or one of its offshoots. This is the reason why quite afew of Japanese kickboxers' kicks tend to be more whippy than muay thai.

Judo - Efficiency

Nice clip of various judo takedowns and throws done in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). When I was only doing kungfu my strong point was throws. It's always good to know a few throws as it can really throw (pun intended) your opponent's game off if he's not used to it or he doesn't know how to breakfall. I always try to do one or two big throws (the legal muay thai style ones) in my matches.

Sanshou HL

Another good sanshou HL for you guys to have a look. Note the use of headgear, shin guards and protective vest. Also note all the throws that were used. Throws are the strong point of sanshou/ sanda. Most of these throws are illegal in Muay Thai.

Funny Thai comercial

Funny muay thai commercial. I LOL when I saw this. The Thai fighter is actually one of the top Muay Thai fighter in the world today, Seanchai Sor Kingstar. He is known for being one of the best technical fighter and as a testament to that, he is about 25 years old and still fighting.

The Contender Asia

Great combat reality show on Muay Thai. The show has finished and was aired on Foxtel. If you guys have the chance to watch it, I highly recommend it. It has abit of drama, cute hostess and great action. What more do you want from a reality show?

Floyd Patterson Greatest Hits

Flyod Patterson was a champion boxer in the 1960s to early 1970s. He is known to have been the inventor/ originator of the "peek-a-boo" style made famous by Mike Tyson. He is also famous for his leaping left hook nicknamed the "Gazelle Punch". Many fighters today have copied Patterson's leaping left hook such as Tyson. Even fighters in kickboxing have copied this technique. Ones that come to my mind atm are Stan Longinidis (famous Aus kickboxing champ) and Mike Zambidis.

Floyd Mayweather skipping rope

Fantastic video clip of Mayweather doing his skipping rope routine. Skipping rope is a very important part of any boxing/ kickboxing training. Great for warming up as well as improving your eye-hand co-ordination. It shouldn't be done as a chore. Rather when you skip rope you should try and be creative and make it fun. We can't all be like Mayweather but hopefully this video will get you guys pumped up and be more creative the next time you're skipping.

Iron Mike Zambidis

Mike Zambidis is another famous K-1 Max fighter. He is from Greece and single-handedly is said to have popularized the sport of kickboxing there. It's said that everyone in the street has heard of his name. He is known for his boxing skills, especially his insanely powerful hooks and overhands. He is originally from a kickboxing background. When someone refers to kickboxing rules, it usually means no elbows, no knees, no throws and no leg catches. It is because of this that he is very weak in the clinch and knees department. Fortunately K-1 Max is now actively enforcing their only one hand clinch and knee rule. Prior to this MT orientated fighters like Buakaw, Masato and JWP will constantly get the upperhand against him using the clinch.

He is a top fighter, just a level below shy of the top fighters like Buakaw, Masato and Souwer. He always gives the top fighters a run for their money but just falls short of victory. In his latest K-1 Max, he was KOed for the very first time in his fighting career. By a high kick against Andy Souwer!

Masato HL

Great Masato HL! Masato is the Japanese posterboy for K-1 Max. He was the K-1 Max 2003 champion, earning him instant stardom. He is blessed with model looks and great fighting skills, a combination that has won him a legion of female fans in Japan.

Don't think he's just a pretty boy though. He really is a good fighter and trains like crazy. He probably has the best boxing skills of all the K-1 Max fighters right now with some people saying he can probably make a good boxing career if not for K-1. My only gripe about him is that he is said to be arrogant and the annoying female fans that keep screaming his name in his matches.

Andy Souwer Highlight

Andy Souwer is the two time and current K-1 Max champion. He's representative of the typical Dutch style muay thai, i.e. strong boxing skills combined with low kicks. He's a very tough fighter and seem to get stronger every round while most of his opponents get weaker. He's one of my fav fighters. I love his striking combinations and his toughness!

Some of you may ask why is he wearing those tight pants? He became famous initially in Japan from Shootboxing. The pants are known as Shootboxing pants. Shootboxing is an organisation that promotes "shootboxing" matches. It is essentially muay thai plus throws and standing submissions (ie. chokes, armbars, etc). He entered K-1 Max as the representative of the Shootboxing organisation.

Typical Muay Thai training in Thailand

Typical training in a Muay Thai camp in Thailand. Notice the poor and squalid condition of the gym. The fighters are training barefoot on concrete floors and the bags and equipment are all quite old and worn out. You see some of the fighters as young as eight or nine years old training as well.

Despite the poor conditions, all the fighters train hard! It's their full time job and their way out of poverty. They train all day 6-7 days a week all year. Usually a typical day will consist of a morning session 6am to 10am then an afternoon session 4pm to 8pm. No wonder they're so good!

Watch out the the great kneework on the bag at about 1:54 mark. Awesome. There are five videos in this series. Be sure to watch them all. They're worth it to get an inside look and feel at how they train in Thailand.

Buakaw Por Pramuk HL

Buakaw is one of the best present day Muay Thai fighters currently. He doesn't fight in Thailand anymore. These days he competes almost exclusively in K-1 Max, the premier promotion for under 70kg fighters held in Japan.

He's won the K-1 Max title twice now and it was because of him that K-1 started to enforce their clinch and one knee only rule. He entered K-1 Max in 2004 and other than his first opponent, fellow Muay Thai stylist John Wayne Parr (famous Aussie fighter), he smashed his way to victory in typical MT style using kicks and knees.

2003 Sanshou World Cup Highlight

This is Sanshou, what I am officially coaching the club in. It is kungfu full contact fighting. The rules are full contact punching, kicking and throwing allowed. No Knees, no elbows and no groundfighting. Sanshou is normally used to refer to the amateur format. The professional format is usually called Sanda. Sanda differs in that knees to the body are allowed and only boxing gloves are worn.

Sanshou is an amateur sport and the rules reflect that. It is a points based system based on successful technique. A punch is 1 point, a low kick is 1 point, body/ head kick is 2 points, a throw is 1 point, a throw where the thrower stays standing is 2 points. A successful technique must be clearly successful so often a flurry of punches or kicks, or a good close range body punch will not be counted even if it hurt the opponent. Very different to Muay Thai where it is based on a 10 point system and on aggression, power and offence.

Karl Gotch - Mace Swinging Demo

This is Karl Gotch, a famous wrestler who was responsible for introducing shootwrestling to the Japanese. Many Japanese MMA fighters come from a background that was influenced by shootwrestling. He is known for his conditioning. This is him demonstrating mace swinging. It's an old Indian wrestling exercise to improve strength and power. I've tried the mace swinging with a sledgehammer and it really works out your arms, shoulders, back and especially grip! The proper mace cost almost $200. I'm going to stick with the sledgehammer for awhile or maybe work out how to make my own.

Samart Payakaroon

A highlight clip on one of the best and slickest Muay Thai fighter ever. He was both a Muay Thai champion and a Boxing champion. Amazing footwork, boxing skills and a great front kick. He is beautiful to watch! In fact he hardly got hit and had a face that women love that when he retired from fighting he became a singing star.

Introducing Ramon Dekker !

An old but great highlight clip of one of the most famous non-Thai Muay Thai fighter in the world, Ramon Dekkers. This is for the guys at uni who is still new to who's who in Muay Thai. Ramon Dekkers was a pioneer of Dutch Muay Thai. It was because of mainly him that the Thais started to incorporate more boxing training in their training regime.

Young Mike Tyson Training

Great clip of a young Mike Tyson in training. I love the head movement combined with his hooks and uppercuts.

Knee Jump Progressions

I came across a discussion thread on Rossboxing on knee jumps. I regard the flying knee as one of my favourite techniques in muay thai so naturally this exercise caught my interest. It is designed to improve one's jumping ability. The person in the clip shows a variety of knee jumps beginning with the basic progressing to a variety done with different weights. The various knee jumps looks quite fun to do. I'm definitely going to incorporate this to my training regime